You shouldn't have too much trouble with courgettes in Wildest Wiltshire. We can grow them in N.E. Scotland. Our most successful ones were a 'globe' variety - sorry I don't know the exact variety, but we bought the seeds in Lidl. These grew to about the size of a melon and had excellent flavour. Basil is another story - never had much success with it, but we've managed to keep some going in the polytunnel.

We have mixed success with Basil too. I find it seems to grow where the tomatoes do... Courgettes also grow well i the same conditions as tomatoes. Definitely a truth in the saying 'those that grow together go together'.

I find that basil doesn't like the midday sun. In our old house the kitchen window faced due south, so I used to blutak a sheet of white paper to the window by it. It shielded the basil perfectly, while still allowing light through and grew much better.

I used to grow Indian basil with dark leaves, but never have much luck with any other basel here. I buy it in pots and then it lasts for weeks/months on the window sill. It needs water every day. In Indian Hindu culture, Basil (Tulsi) is seen as a Goddess. People grow it in a large pot in the courtyard and water it every morning after saying their prayers, offering water to the Goddess Tulsi. Some clever person in olden days must have realised that this plant needs a lot of water and incorporated it into a religious ritual!http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&cl ... 9,s:0,i:90Hope your courgettes grow in time Zosh. Mine, planted outside straight from my conservatory 2 weeks ago, now have a few flowers and a couple of tiny courgettes. But I can't carry a lot of cans of water for the bone dry soil and hope they will survive!Gardening is not much fun these days, my back is already protesting!! I wish water companies will get their acts together and we will not be left with dry gardens every year in a country surrounded with water!!

Last edited by Mamta on June 1st, 2012, 9:03 am, edited 1 time in total.